


Till the Sun Shines

by DanKatt



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: ? - Freeform, Alternate Universe, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Daddy!Derek, Derek is the best uncle/dad, F/M, GWG - Grammar What Grammar?, Hale Family Feels, Kid Fic, M/M, Original Baby Character - Freeform, POV Derek, Sheriff Stilinski's Name is John, mentioned unplanned pregnancy, possible overuse of commas, season 1 AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-20
Updated: 2016-06-29
Packaged: 2018-07-16 03:38:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7250473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DanKatt/pseuds/DanKatt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Derek woke up gasping and shaking, the pain in his chest and head was making him dizzy and nauseated.</p><p>Laura was dead.</p><p>Murdered.</p><p>For the second time in his life Derek’s senses and mind were drowned by the howling of the wolf inside him; crying for the alpha and pack mate he wouldn’t see again. And this time there was no Laura to bring him back from the edge.</p><p>A high whimpering cry finally snapped him out of the almost feral state he had been sent to. It was then that Derek remembered that he was not alone. Laying on the other bed in the motel room surrounded by pillows was the squirming and tiny body of his three month old nephew crying at the top of his lungs.</p><p>OR</p><p>After Laura died when she came back to Beacon Hills the only one left to take care of her three month old son is Derek</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Welcome to Beacon Hills

**Author's Note:**

> First sterek fic! *throws confetti*  
> The only character I will take credit for is Jay  
> Also I want to thank sterektrashbag for being encouraging and always willing to hear me out, and of course for betaing this for me. Honestly, thank you. Go say hi to her on tumblr! She is awesome! :D

 

 

 

 

_Welcome to Beacon Hills_

Derek scoffed when he read the sign at the town border, rolling his exhausted eyes and gripping the steering wheel of the Camaro tighter. He didn’t feel welcomed at all. He felt more like he was being dragged into a black hole: inevitable and full of darkness. He already felt like there wasn’t enough oxygen, the constant weight of his guilt and anger suddenly becoming ten times heavier and making his lungs struggle to expand. It wasn’t even 8 am and he was already done with the day. Month. Year.

 

Laura was dead.

 

Murdered.

 

Some part of Derek was still in shock and denial. He felt as if he was under water or in another of his multiple nightmares; noises were muted and nothing felt quite as _real_ as it should. But no matter how many times he tried to tell himself to wake up - to open his eyes so he could see that everything was in fact alright and not gone to shit once again - nothing changed. He still felt the searing and achingly familiar pain of a broken pack bond; branding his heart with another scar his werewolf healing wouldn’t be able to erase.

 

It had been a little over two days since the last time Derek saw his older sister. When Derek came back to the apartment they shared from his nightshift at the hospital as EMT to find Laura with a bag packed; telling him she had felt something off back home and her wolf was going crazy for her to go check it out. She had already bought a plane ticket and had only waited for him to come back before leaving. She ignored him when he tried to dissuade her from going, always being stubborn once her mind was made up. The last thing she said before walking out the door was to take care, look out for each other, and to follow her on the Camaro once he had slept for a while.

 

He should have insisted she stayed, followed her immediately, driven all night, taken a plane, done _something_ _anything._ It was too late now. He had just talked to her over the phone almost twelve hours ago. She had asked about if there had been any complications during the trip and at what time he would be driving into Beacon Hills. She had said she already missed her boys even if it had only been two days since they separated. She had said she loved them. And then she hanged up.

 

A few hours later Derek woke up gasping and shaking, the pain in his chest and head was making him dizzy and nauseated. He recognized the feeling of losing an alpha and knew Laura was gone.

 

For the second time in his life, Derek’s senses and mind were drowned by the howling of the wolf inside him; crying for the alpha and pack mate he wouldn’t see again. And this time there was no Laura to bring him back from the edge.

 

A high whimpering cry finally snapped him out of the almost feral state he had been sent to. It was then that Derek remembered that he was not alone. Laying on the other bed in the motel room surrounded by pillows was the squirming and tiny body of his three month old nephew, crying at the top of his lungs.

 

Derek immediately stood up from where he just realized he had curled up on the floor half shifted and growling. He picked up the baby, carefully making sure to support his head since his neck was still a little weak and cradled him against his naked chest pressing his lips against his temple in a gentle kiss that doubled as scenting. The sweet, soft scent of baby and pack with a lingering undertone of Laura was enough to finally settle his wolf somewhat.

 

”Shh, shh, I know, little bear, I know, I felt it too. I know it hurts. Shh” he whispered softly against the soft tuff of dark hair at the top of the baby’s head.

 

“You are not alone, Jay. I’m still here. You are still here. We are still family. I’m so sorry, Jay.” He wasn’t sure who he was trying to comfort at this point or what exactly he was apologizing for. For not protecting Laura? Having to depend only on him now? Having caused the fire in the first place? He didn’t know, he just stood there hugging Jay as hard as he dared, rocking him from side to side until his cries transformed into whimpering and then into sniffles before falling silent once again.

 

“I love you, little bear. We are a two wolves’ pack now.” Derek pressed another gentle kiss to his head and looked down at the sleeping baby. His soft cheeks and dark lashes were wet from tears which he wiped off with his thumb.

 

Derek still remembered clearly how he and Laura had both freaked out when the home pregnancy test confirmed what both their wolves had already known. It had just been a random one night stand on New Year’s Eve but Laura never regretted having Jay. Derek had been distant and wary at the beginning but he slowly warmed up to the idea of another Hale pack member. Even if part of him was scared of somehow screwing up this tiny, fragile, and impressionable new human being.

 

Laura assured him he would be the best uncle despite his multiple doubts and counterarguments.

 

_‘I know you will be the best because he or she is not even born yet and you already love the little cub,’ said Laura as if it was the most obvious thing in the world and Derek couldn’t say anything to contradict that. It was the truth._

 

Jacob Robert Hale was born on September 29th, 2010. Almost a week past his supposed due date. Laura cried when she held him for the first time. Derek didn’t cry when he held him but if he suddenly had to leave the room for some coffee and returned a few minutes later sans coffee and red rimmed eyes, it was pure coincidence.

 

Now barely three months after his birth he was an orphan.

 

Jay was an orphan but Derek swore to himself that as long as there was breath in his lungs and blood pumping through his veins his nephew wouldn’t be alone. He owed it to all the Hales he had killed in the fire and to Laura; who for the longest time had been the rock to which he clung to keep afloat. He would protect this last piece of her and his family until his dying breath.

 

However, he also owed Laura to figure out what had happened to her and dish out his own brand of justice to the one responsible. Which is why he was driving into this accursed town after a sleepless night. He wanted to go to the Preserve and start tracking Laura but he first had to find a hotel to settle down. Jay would be waking up hungry very soon and he had to find somewhere he could prepare his bottle.

 

He was just turning off the main street towards where he remembered a small hotel used to be when his phone started to ring in his jacket pocket.

 

“Fuck,” hissed Derek when the loud sound startled Jay into wakefulness with a strong cry from where the baby had previously been sleeping in his car seat.

 

Derek parked the Camaro in the first available spot on the side of the street and got out of the car while answering the phone without looking at the number; too busy wrestling with the straps of the car seat.

 

“Who is this?” growled Derek into the phone. Finally managing to free Jay from the clutches of the car seat and scooping the baby into his arms. He had the phone pressed against his ear with his shoulder.

 

“… Derek Hale? This is Sheriff John Stilinski from the Beacon Hills Sheriff Station. Is this a bad time? I have something important to talk to you about,” said a gruff but sympathetic voice on the other side of the line.

 

“I’m Derek Hale, and no, right now is as good a time as any,” replied Derek managing to tone down Jay’s crying by distracting him with his favorite stuffed animal - a colorful dog Laura named Frank in honor of the pet fish she had won at a fair when she was thirteen and died less than a week later.

 

“My records state that you are currently living in New York with your sister Laura. Are you aware of her current whereabouts?” said the Sheriff. The last question was said tentatively and Derek could tell that the Sheriff was bracing himself to inform him of what had happened to Laura; to utter the words that would finally make her death real without a shadow of a doubt. Derek won’t be able to convince himself that he is just being paranoid and pessimistic like usual once he hears what the Sheriff will say.

 

“I’ve actually just arrived in Beacon Hills to meet up with her,” replied Derek after a pause to adjust Jay to a more comfortable position for the both of them. The baby was oblivious to the conversation around him, too busy taking in the new surroundings and the people walking on the street.

 

“In that case why don’t you come by the station? I think it’s best if we have this conversation face to face plus I need to ask you a few questions.” The words were said gently but the command that Derek had better be at the station ASAP was still clear.

 

“Yes, sir. I can be there in ten.” That was all Derek said before hanging up and tucking his phone back in the pocket of his leather jacket. He grabbed Jay under his arms and lift him up to be on eye level with him.

 

“It looks like our hunt for a nice den will be delayed, little bear. We have to go on a trip to the Sheriff’s station,” said Derek with a soft voice and weak smile. Jay had no problems smiling though, gurgling and kicking his socked feet in the air all the while looking at him with his bright signature Hale hazel eyes.

 

Derek sighed before ducking back into the car and tucking Jay into the car seat. Once he was secured he got back behind the wheel and started to make his way to the Beacon Hills Sheriff Station. The soft music from the radio seemed to keep Jay calm. And not for the first time Derek felt grateful that jay was such a tranquil baby in general. Laura used to playfully complain that Jay seemed to take after him more than her.

 

Ten minutes later Derek was parking outside of the sheriff station. Once again he fought with the car seat straps and eventually managed to extract a wiggling Jay out of the car. Derek wasn’t sure how long he would have to be inside so he decided to play it safe and grabbed Jay’s baby bag out of the car as well just in case Jay needed anything.

 

When Derek walked into the station the woman behind the counter stared at him with a slightly shocked expression. He supposed he caused quite an impression with his dark jeans, black shirt, and leather jacket (plus Laura always teased him about his “not resting bitch face, it looks more like resting murder face, Der”); add to that a babbling baby dressed in brown overalls, and superman shirt with a light green baby bag with dancing ducklings hanging from his shoulder and you could say he fit the bill for ‘hot rocker dad.’

 

“My name is Derek Hale. The Sheriff asked me to come talk to him,” said Derek while absent mindedly rubbing Jay’s back.

 

As soon as Derek revealed his name the deputy snapped back to reality and her slightly awed look from before changed into one of badly hidden pity; it made Derek grit his teeth and scowl at the woman while she informed the Sheriff of his arrival through the intercom.

 

“You may go to his office now.” She said with a small smile and wave directed at Jay.

 

The station was noisy and full of movement no doubt everyone working on Laura’s case; Jay seemed a little overwhelmed by the controlled chaos of the station so Derek breathed a sigh of relief when he stepped into the Sheriff’s office where it was quieter for Jay. The Sheriff who was sitting on the other side of his desk cluttered with files, papers, two coffee mugs and a half empty pastry bag, looked up at his entrance with a serious expression which gentled somewhat when he saw Jay.

 

“Mr. Hale, thank you for coming as quick as you did,” started the Sheriff, raising from his chair and extending his hand for a shake which Derek reciprocated after shifting Jay to his other arm. “Take a seat.”

 

Derek sat on the chair in front of the desk as the Sheriff resumed his own. He sat Jay on his lap propped against his stomach and pulled Frank out of the side pocket of the baby bag to keep him entertained.

 

Once Jay was sufficiently settled, Derek looked up at the Sheriff with a serious expression and tired eyes. He was so tired; the bone deep ache of emotional exhaustion he has carried around since the day of the fire has never lessened and now with whatever happened to Laura it had just strengthened. He didn’t have the time nor the inclination to beat around the bush so he decided to get to the point of the conversation.

 

“This is about Laura. Something has happened to her, hasn’t it?” said Derek. There was barely an inflection in his voice, after all, he was stating a fact but the Sheriff couldn’t know that he already knew because he felt the pack bond break.

 

The Sheriff raised an eyebrow at him but continued nonetheless. “I’m sorry to inform you that your sister was found dead, Mr. Hale. Yesterday evening at around 10pm two late night joggers reported finding the lower half of a young woman in the Preserve,” the Sheriff paused at the pained noise Derek couldn’t contain; his wolf was going crazy inside him.

 

Derek had one hand wrapped around Jay’s stomach to keep him from squirming off his lap and the other clenched in the arm rest of the chair. He was trying to keep his claws contained or at the very least trying to keep the Sheriff from noticing them. God, Laura had been found in _pieces._ Good thing he hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday because he didn’t think the Sheriff would appreciate having vomit decorating his floor. He took a deep breath to calm himself and his wolf down before nodding at the Sheriff to continue.

 

“Half an hour later myself and a search team accompanied by search dogs entered the Preserve and finally found the upper half of the body early this morning. Finger prints and dental records have confirmed the identity as Laura Hale. I am so sorry for your loss.” The Sheriff delivered the news up front and without hesitation, his expression was stern but Derek could see the sympathy in his eyes.

 

Derek appreciated the lack of pity, and his steady heart beat allowed Derek to know that he really did mean his condolences and wasn’t just saying them out of a sense of duty like so many people did to him and Laura after the loss of their family. Many people said those words but many didn’t actually mean it; sure they were sorry _for_ them but in the end the death of the Hale family didn’t really affect them.

 

“I can give you my word as the Sheriff that my team and I will do everything in our power to figure out what happened to your sister,” said the Sheriff after Derek didn’t respond. “Now I have a few questions for you. What was Laura doing back in Beacon Hills? As far as I know after you two left for New York you haven’t come back.”

 

“I’m not sure either. Last Friday I got back from work and Laura had already packed a bag and bought a plane ticket for California. She said that she wanted to check on something but didn’t specify what exactly; she left saying I should follow her with Jay in the car. Driving from New York to California with a three month old is not easy so I only just got into town this morning,” answered Derek while absentmindedly shaking Frank for Jay to bat and gurgle at. He was being mostly truthful with the Sheriff; Laura _hadn’t_ really explained what made her want to come back so urgently and driving so long with such a young baby had been hellish to say the least.

 

“Do you know what she was doing in the Preserve?” continued the Sheriff with the interrogation.

 

Derek took a moment to think about that. When he had talked to Laura over the phone she had mentioned finding an odd scent in the woods near their old house and that she thought it might have been a wolf but there was something off about it she couldn’t place. She had said she would check it out and update him when he got into town. Most likely it was this wolf that had killed Laura, but she was an alpha it doesn’t make sense she lost against only one wolf. Something else must have happened to give the other an advantage. He would have to go to the Preserve as soon as he could before the scents faded and see what he could discover.

 

“Last time I talked to her she mentioned wanting to go to our old house, maybe place some flowers and pay her respects to our family,” finally answered Derek. It wasn’t a real lie either since Laura did say she had done that when she first got there.

 

The Sheriff nodded and looked like he was about to say something else but it was cut off when Jay started to get increasingly fussy and noisy. Derek immediately recognized the, by now familiar, signs of an approaching hunger crying fit.

 

“Sorry, Sheriff. It seems like someone is demanding breakfast. Is there somewhere I could heat up some water to make him a bottle?” asked Derek while standing up and holding a fussy  Jay with one arm and the baby bag with the other.

 

“Ah. Yes, of course. We have a microwave in the break room. Let me walk you,” said the Sheriff, he seemed a bit surprised by the sudden interruption but he still stood from his desk and leading the way out of the office.

 

They passed the desks of the deputies working towards a side door. On the other side there was a small room with a couch against one wall where a tired-looking deputy sat drinking a cup of coffee and checking his phone, when he saw the sheriff he immediately stood up and walked out of the break room with a nod to the both of them. On the far wall there was a table with a coffee machine, a microwave and a fresh water dispenser. There was also a shelf with multiple cups and glasses of varying sizes and designs.

 

Derek took a moment to consider his next actions before nodding to himself and turning towards the Sheriff.

 

“Sir, would you mind holding him while I make his bottle?” asked Derek, grabbing Jay under his arms and offering him to the Sheriff.

 

The Sheriff’s eyes widened in surprise but he nodded and reached for Jay. His grip on the baby was a bit awkward at first but he quickly adjusted. Jay quieted down a bit when he realized a stranger was holding him but Derek was certain it wouldn’t last more than a few seconds so he quickly approached the table while the Sheriff took a seat on the couch.

 

“Hey there, buddy. I’m Sheriff Stilinski. I haven’t really carried any babies since my own son was one,” the Sheriff told Jay while smiling at him. “Shh. It’s okay, little man, don’t cry your daddy is going to bring you your bottle,” cooed the Sheriff.

 

Derek, who had filled the bottle with water from the dispenser and was about to add the formula he had packed in the bag, froze when he heard the Sheriff’s words.

 

“He - he is not. My son, I mean. He is not my son…. He is Laura’s,” choked out Derek from his suddenly tight throat at the reminder.

 

Laura had been a wonderful mother in the little time she had been given to have the experience. She had always had a smile when she was with Jay, even when it was three in the morning and she hadn’t been able to sleep more than two hours in a row for days. She had been so happy and excited to have a child, even if she hadn’t planned for one. She used to say Jay was the best surprise she had ever gotten. And now she wouldn’t get to see Jay’s first step, first word, or first howl. It wasn’t fair.

 

“Ah…” the single sound coming from the Sheriff was full of sadness and comprehension. “Father?”

 

Derek just shook his head in answer and the Sheriff didn’t ask any other questions.

 

They remained quiet while Derek finished preparing and heating the bottle in the microwave. The only sounds were Jay’s crying and the Sheriff’s soft cooing to try to calm him down. Finally the bottle was ready, Derek checked it was at an appropriate temperature before taking seat beside the Sheriff and taking back Jay. He placed the bottle’s nipple at the baby’s mouth being careful to angle it to keep Jay from swallowing air accidentally.

 

“What’s his name?” the Sheriff said finally, breaking the comfortable silence they had fallen into while Jay ate.

 

“Jacob. But Laura always called him Jay and, well, it stuck,” answered Derek, looking down at Jay fondly.

 

“Before my wife died she had nicknamed our son ‘Stiles’ since he kept complaining how even the teacher butchered his ‘exotic’ Polish name. "Now that might as well be his legal name,” said the Sheriff with a chuckle. “Life can be really hard sometimes to people who don’t deserve it. It is not fair to Jay, Laura, or yourself that she is going to miss out on all the milestones to come. My son was ten when my wife died and a day doesn’t go by in which we don’t both wish she were here to experience something with us. I know our situations aren’t the same but I get what you are going through somewhat so you can come talk to me anytime. If it is about Laura’s case I might not be able to tell you much since it is an open case, though,” said the Sheriff, honest eyes and steady heartbeat.

 

It surprised Derek how much the Sheriff seemed to care and he suddenly understood why he had been elected for his position. The man was fair, and sincere but no push over either; it made Derek respect him.

 

“Thank you, sir,” said Derek sincerely. And he did appreciate the words, however, that didn’t mean he was planning on taking him up on the offer. He already knew Laura’s case wouldn’t be one that human law would be able to solve.

 

He checked on Jay and noticed he had almost finished his bottle so he walked towards the baby bag and put the now empty bottle on the table before searching one handed for the yellow towel he had seen in there earlier. Once he found it he draped it over his shoulder and shifted Jay so he was propped there and began patting and rubbing his back gently; burping him.

 

“What are you going to do now, Derek? Is it okay if I call you Derek?” asked the Sheriff.

 

“It’s fine. Um. I wanted to stay in Beacon Hills at least until Laura’s case is closed so first I have to find someplace to stay in the meantime,” answered Derek, a little surprised at the sudden question.

 

The Sheriff made a humming sound and looked at Derek as though he was judging if he was fit for some task.

 

“How old are you?” asked the Sheriff.

 

Derek raised an eyebrow, he suddenly felt like he was in some sort of job interview, but answered nonetheless. “I’m twenty two, sir.”

 

More humming sounds from the Sheriff. Derek didn’t know what the Sheriff was thinking about, and honestly, at this point he was feeling a little apprehensive.

 

“How about you stay at my house? I’ve got a comfortable spare bedroom and you could even use Stiles’ old crib for Jay. That way you have a safe and comfortable place for Jay while you find someplace else if you want,” offered the Sheriff.

 

Derek’s eyes widened and his eyebrows flew to his hairline. He was correct in feeling apprehensive. He stalled for time while cleaning the bit of spit and milk from Jay’s mouth after he burped. He didn’t know what to think or how to answer that question.

 

“I wouldn’t want to impose on you or your son. Plus Jay is still having trouble sleeping through the night. He still wakes up at least once on most nights. I wouldn’t want to disturb either of you,” replied Derek.

 

“Nonsense. Neither of you would be imposing because I’m inviting you. Also I will be working nights from now until the near future and my son is a teenager with ADHD; sleep is like a myth where he is concerned. So you nor Jay would be disturbing anyone,” said the Sheriff. “Look, son. It’s just an offer so if you really don’t want to it is fine. Just thought this would be more comfortable for you and your nephew.”

 

Derek thought about the offer more seriously. It was true that sleeping in a hotel for however long this would take would not only be expensive but uncomfortable; the smell and presence of strangers constantly around them wouldn’t be calming for neither him nor Jay. Plus, the nearest thing he had to a crib for Jay was the car seat and he didn’t like the thought of Jay sleeping there every night or on a hotel bed from which he could roll off accidentally. And he remembered the Sheriff, when he had been a deputy, had also helped Laura and him in every way they had allowed him to after the fire. Derek surprised himself by wanting to trust the Sheriff.

 

“Okay. Thank you again, sir, for everything you are doing for us,” said Derek once he had reached his decision.

 

“Great. It’s just time for me to go home for a break before coming back so we can get you both settled,” said the Sheriff walking out the door.

 

Twenty minutes later Derek parked the Camaro behind the Sheriff’s cruiser outside the Stilinski house. He got out of the car and opened the backseat door to see Jay had fallen asleep in his car seat so he decided to extract the contraption instead of waking him up. After carefully extracting the car seat, he grabbed Jay’s duckling baby bag and walked towards the trunk where he also took out another large baby bag (this one blue with colorful flowers) and lastly a nondescript black bag.

 

The Sheriff snorted in amusement at the image he made but held the door open for him. Inside the house looked homely and warm. He could smell the strong scent of black coffee and cinnamon of the Sheriff mixed with another one of sugar, chemicals, and vanilla that he assumed was the Sheriff’s son’s scent.

 

“Welcome, and feel free to treat this like your own home. Come with me I’ll take you to the guest room and go looking for that crib in the attic,” said the Sheriff after closing the door. They walked up the stairs and down the hall towards a small but comfortable room. It had the faint scents of both the Sheriff and his son which made sense since they probably didn’t spent much time in here. There wasn’t much in the room, just a bed with yellow sheets, a bedside table, a dresser, and a painting of the woods on one wall.

 

Derek nodded his thanks before the Sheriff left to look for the crib. Alone in the room Derek carefully placed the car seat in the middle of the bed and the bags on the dresser. He could hear the Sheriff moving boxes and grumbling about disobedient teenagers that don’t clean the attic when they were asked to multiple times. Derek sat beside Jay and just watched the baby sleep while waiting for the Sheriff to come back. The steady heartbeat of his nephew helped settle his wolf.

 

He was still counting the beat of Jay’s heart when he heard the Sheriff call for him to help him take the crib into the room. It took a bit of effort to get the crib into the room and ready for Jay without making enough noise to wake him up but they managed. Not for the first time Derek was glad that werewolf babies were essentially human the first six months or so of their lives. He got little enough sleep as it was, a baby already having difficulties sleeping throughout the night with super sense of hearing would be a bit much.

 

“Well I’m gonna go rest for a while. If you are hungry the kitchen is open. Don’t hesitate to tell me of anything you or Jay may need,” said the Sheriff, clapping him once on the shoulder and walking out of the room.

 

At the mentioned of food, Derek’s stomach growled. But before going to the kitchen, he first fought once again with the car seat straps for Jay’s freedom. After conquering over those, he very carefully transferred Jay to the crib; sighing in relief when Jay didn’t stir. He covered him with the sheep blanket Laura had insisted on buying and finally headed for the kitchen keeping his senses on alert.

 

The kitchen was warm and obviously well used. Derek liked it. The essence of family life gave him a nostalgic feeling in his chest that for the first time in so long wasn’t quite as painful. He felt awkward just eating the Stilinski’s food so he resolved to buy the groceries next time. In the meantime he fixed himself a sandwich and ate an apple while watching some news in the living room. After some time had passed he checked the time on his phone and was surprised to see that it was almost 11am. The house was quiet with the other two occupants sleeping, so Derek decided that he would make himself useful and start preparing lunch.

 

A while later the Sheriff walked into the kitchen. He was wearing a fresh uniform and had taken a shower.

 

“Smells good. What is it?” asked the Sheriff pleasantly.

 

“Just some steamed chicken, rice, and salad. I thought that I might as well pull my weight while we’re staying here. Plus this is the least I could do, sir,” answered Derek. He placed a plate in front of the Sheriff and also took a seat at the table with his own plate.

 

“You didn’t have to do anything, Derek. And call me John, I’m at home not at work,” said the Sheriff. “My son is going to love you if you keep cooking like this during your stay. He is always nagging me that I should eat healthier, and here you are giving me healthy food without having to be told,” said John with a fond smile and a roll of his eyes at his son’s mother hen behaviour.

 

Derek smiled awkwardly in response and they continued eating in companionable silence. They had just finished their food and had placed the dishes in the dishwasher when crying was heard from upstairs.

 

“Well, that sounds like my cue to leave. I’ll see you both later,” said the Sheriff before leaving.

 

Derek walked into the guest room and his nose instantly told him what the problem was this time. With a sigh he plucked Jay out of the crib and laid him on the bed to start the process of changing his diaper.

 

“We are definitely going to have to go grocery shopping soon, Jay. I didn’t pack enough diapers or formula. Plus, we also have to check some stuff in the Preserve, so we have a busy afternoon,” said Derek. He is not really a chatty guy but he read on a baby care website that it was important to talk to babies as much as possible to help them develop their social skills. So Derek talks.

 

Once Jay is clean and dressed again Derek placed him in the car seat and struggled with the straps again. One would think it gets easier with practice but it didn’t seem to work that way for Derek. After ensuring that the car seat was properly secured to the car, Derek drove to the Preserve. He was feeling kind of nervous about going to check out the place where his sister died with Jay; he couldn’t be sure if the wolf or wolves that had attacked Laura were still there, but the list of people who Derek would entrust with Jay had been reduced to zero yesterday night.

 

He decided to start at the house and branch out from there following Laura’s scent. He wasn’t looking forward to seeing the remains of the house and the smell of ash that would probably never leave that clearing. The familiar path to the house filled his mind with the memories of his pack, making him clench the wheel tighter than necessary.

 

Derek finally parked outside the house and gave himself a second to take a deep breath and take in the scents of Laura and Jay to keep himself calm. Derek got out of the car and eventually managed to wrangle Jay out of the car seat. To keep his hands free, just in case he encountered trouble, he decided to get out the baby sling; which looked more like a dark loop of cloth. He took off his leather jacket and wrapped the cloth over one of his shoulders then he carefully placed a babbling Jay into the pocket; once he had safely secured him against his chest and made sure that his face was not blocked, he put on his leather jacket again.

 

Derek kept his senses on high alert. If the other wolf or wolves were out there he wanted to know as soon as possible so he could get out of there. He wouldn't risk Jay getting hurt in a fight.

 

He started by checking out the house. The damage by fire and weather was clear. Under the faded scent of ashes Derek detected Laura’s and inside in one of the upper rooms he found Laura’s bag which he took with him when he found nothing else out of place in the house. He threw the bag into the trunk of the Camaro before setting out into the forest surrounding the house following the path made by Laura’s scent.

 

Jay seemed delighted by the walk in the woods; smiling at his surrounding and gurgling at Derek. It made him smile too, though briefly still concentrated on the task at hand. He soon found the scent that must have alerted Laura. He started walking faster; taking care not to jostle Jay too much.

 

The sudden stench of Laura’s blood accompanied by the unmistakable smell of death hit him like a bus. His wolf whined and clawed on the inside and it took all of his control not to wolf out or throw up. Jay, having picked up on his sudden change of mood, was making whimpering sounds that preluded a crying fit. The sound and squirming against his chest reminded Derek that he wasn’t completely alone. He still had pack.

 

He wrapped his arms around Jay in the sling and placed a kiss on top of his head.

 

“I’m fine now, little bear. Just- I just got a bit overwhelmed. I’m so glad you can’t smell like I can yet,” said Derek with a sigh; patting Jay on the back to settle him down.

 

This was definitely the place where Laura died. Once he could think past the smell of her blood he was able to pick up the smell of the new alpha and other people who he assumed were the police. Now that Derek was at the clearing where the fight ensued, he could tell it was only between Laura and one other wolf; perpetuating the mystery of why or how did Laura lose when she was an alpha fighting a beta at most. Derek walked around the clearing trying to pick up on anything that could shine a light on the mystery when a medicinal smell hit him. He followed the smell to where he found an inhaler buried under some leaves near a tree. The inhaler smelled like too many hormones and mint; so a teenager most likely. He could tell that the teenager had also been in the clearing. He pocketed the inhaler and decided to follow the teen’s scent since it was the most out of place.

 

The scent led him down an incline, by the small traces of blood Derek guessed the teenager most likely tumbled down. When he reached the bottom, he froze and felt the urge to curse like a sailor. The alpha had been here. With the teenager. And the smell of fear, and blood let him know that he was most likely attacked by the alpha. If he was bitten and survived then this whole shit storm just got shittier.

 

No matter that the bite was a gift, if it was forced on someone nothing good could come from that; Derek had learnt that lesson a long time ago in the worst way possible. He was about to start tracking the scent to try and find the poor sod who was forced to take the bite when his hearing picked up two voices coming his way. Derek considered avoiding them and going back to the Camaro but their conversation pricked his interest so he decided to stay close and see who they were.

 

The voices belonged to two teenager looking for the floppy haired one’s inhaler and one was teasing the other with having been ‘infected’ with lycanthropy. _Looks like he survived the bite._ At least he doesn’t have to look for a dead teenager because of a rejected bite but having to deal with a teenage werewolf - that didn’t even know he was one – wasn’t going to be pleasant either. Regardless of what Derek will have to do to prevent the kid from losing control and exposing the supernatural, they couldn’t stay here. It raised his wolf’s hackles to see them treating the land where his sister and pack died as if it was their backyard.

 

His mind made up he walked from behind the tree he had stood behind and started approaching them; Jay had also picked up on his mood and was making unhappy noises. The human kid with the buzz cut was the first to notice him and alerted his friend.

 

“What are you doing here, huh? This is private property,” demanded Derek.

 

“Sorry, man. We didn’t know,” said buzz cut kid, he was fidgeting slightly and his gaze kept darting from Derek’s face to his chest were Jay was looking at them as well.

 

“We were just looking for something but – uh, forget it,” stuttered Derek’s new werewolf headache. The kid’s wolf probably registered him as a possible threat subconsciously which is why he seemed more wary and intimidated by Derek. _Ugh._

Derek could already tell dealing with this kid would be difficult so he cut the interaction short and just tossed the kid his inhaler – with a scowl to make sure they understood they were not welcome - before turning around and walking away. He heard them talking about him almost as soon as he turned his back on them.

 

“Dude, you know who that was? That was Derek Hale. You remember right he is only a few years older than us,” asked buzz cut kid, his voice loud enough he probably would have heard him even without being a werewolf.

 

“Remember what?” asked new werewolf headache.

 

“His family? They all burned to death in a fire like six years ago,” replied buzz cut. And he was officially Derek’s least favorite out of the two of them; treating his family’s murder like some exciting piece of gossip.

 

By this point Derek had walked far enough away that he couldn’t see them but his werewolf hearing still heard the rest of their conversation.

 

“I wonder what he’s doing back. And with a baby,” replied new werewolf headache.

 

“Dude, I know right! And did you see the way that baby was looking at us. I didn’t even know babies could glare. He probably learned it from his daddy. Or it is hereditary…” whatever else buzz cut kid said Derek was too far away by that point to hear. However the comment about Jay glaring at them startled a smile out of him. Derek look down at Jay who turned to look at him with a sunny smile.

 

“Is that true, little bear? Were you trying to protect our territory from obnoxious teenagers, huh? Laura would be so proud,” Derek chuckled.

 

_‘I swear, Der-Bear. It’s like Jay is more your kid than mine with the way he behaves sometimes,’ said Laura with a laugh and a mock pout. ‘He is like a little bear to your big bear, baby bro.’_

Derek smiled fondly at the memory.

 

“Let’s go back to the car. We have a lot of stuff to do still, little bear.”

 

 

 

 


	2. Uh... What?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I totally planned on updating this on Sunday buuuuut you know what they say about the best laid plans...  
> I dont know when the next one will come. Hopefully next week. I'll /try/ to make updates weekly, however, dont be surprised if I dont stick to this. I just started my job this week and honestly I'm tired. So i'm gonna go sleep now.

 

 

 

 

“Uh… What?”

 

That was the eloquent, if somewhat confused, greeting Derek received from the buzz cut teenager that opened the door of the Sheriff’s house. He was the same teenager Derek had encountered a while ago in the Preserve, he hadn’t been able to get his scent under all the other scents in the clearing but now that he was close enough to catch his scent he realized that it was the same mixture of sugar, chemicals, and vanilla that was all over the house. So this must be the Sheriff’s son, Stiles.

 

Derek couldn’t help the sour expression that came over his face at the realization. Some part of Derek wondered if he would ever be able to catch a break.

 

After Derek had gone back to the Camaro in the Preserve, he had sat Jay in his car seat and took Laura’s bag out of the trunk to go through it. He was hoping to find some kind of clue about what had been so important that Laura had to come back to Beacon Hills so suddenly. Unfortunately, there was nothing remarkable inside; just clothes, her phone, and charger.

 

In a side pocket of the bag Derek found a picture Laura had packed of the three of them last Christmas. Before Jay was born neither him nor Laura had really bothered to celebrate Christmas. They would exchange simple gifts but that was as far as they would even acknowledge the holiday. It was just too painful; the absence of their pack made too obvious during what used to be one of their favorite time of the year.

 

When Jay was born it was like Laura’s love for the festivities was rekindled as well, even Derek was dragged into the Christmas cheer. They bought a tree, decorated the house, and attempted to make their mom’s gingerbread cookies. Laura was determined to make Jay’s first Christmas memorable.

 

The picture Derek had found was a selfie they had taken in front of the decorated tree. Laura was holding the phone with one hand and supporting Jay against her chest with the other, Derek was standing beside her with his arm around her shoulders. They were both smiling, wearing ugly Christmas sweaters and Santa hats - Laura had forced it on him and actually growled at him when he tried to take it off; Jay had had fallen asleep at that point but had matched their Santa hats with a red Santa onesie.

 

The picture of their first and last Christmas together combined with the scent of Laura coming from her bag was enough to overwhelm him with grief at the loss of his older sister. He gave himself a couple more minutes to stand there in front of the open trunk of the Camaro, outside of the burnt wreck of his childhood home. Derek gave himself those two minutes to just stand there and let himself feel their loss; blinking at the sky rapidly to contain the tears and his claws piercing the flesh of his palms.

 

Then the reminder of how and why he had lost them came back and with it the anger that anchored him. With a last deep breath he unclenched his hands and retracted his claws, grabbing an old rag in the trunk to clean up the blood, he pocketed the picture and closed the trunk. Then he walked to the back seat and placed a kiss on Jay’s forehead before ensuring he was properly strapped. Finally he got in the driver’s seat and left the Preserve.

 

After dropping by the nearest grocery shop to buy a few necessities for Jay, Derek decided it was enough excitement for one day for his nephew and went back to the Stilinski’s house. Parking outside the house, Derek noticed the baby blue Jeep in the driveway and heard the heart beat inside. So after getting Jay out of the car seat he walked to the door and rang the bell.

 

Which led to the situation right now.

 

“I would ask if you were stalking me but I don’t think anyone would be stupid enough to stalk the _Sheriff’s_ underage son. Or at least I really hope, so please don’t prove me wrong. Also I’d like to believe that my stalker would at least have the decency to not look so constipated while in my presence,” continued Stiles with a smile that faltered and died when faced with Derek’s glare.

 

“Ah. Right. Yeah, you are right. Someone that looks like you doesn’t need to stalk anyone. In fact, I bet you are more the stalkee than the stalker,” said Stiles backtracking quickly with a flail of his arms, Derek could hear his heartbeat speeding up with a mixture of panicked embarrasment. “It wouldn’t surprise me really if someone wanted to stalk you. Not that I’m saying _I_ am going to stalk you now-”

 

“Will you stop talking,” demanded Derek cutting the kid off before he had a chance to continue with his verbal train wreck.

 

Stiles quickly shut his mouth with a clack of teeth and nodded his head. He actually looked relieved at being stopped. If Derek wasn’t so exasperated he might have been amused at that thought.

 

“Look, kid” started to say Derek.

 

“I’m sixteen not six,” interrupted Stiles indignantly. Derek’s glare on him intensified, “Right. Shutting up.”

 

With an exhausted sigh Derek continued, “Has your father told you that we are going to be staying here for a while?” while bouncing Jay lightly in his arms to highlight his presence to the teen and to signal he was including the baby in the ‘we’.

 

“Uh… What?” repeated Stiles with a dumbfounded expression on his face. Derek sighed again.

 

“You can call him and ask him to explain. In the meantime, can I come in already? Jay is going to be hungry soon and I need to prepare his bottle,” said Derek, not really asking since he was already stepping around Stiles and into the house.

 

“Hey! Where do you think you are going, asshole?” exclaimed Stiles, when Derek didn’t respond and just kept walking towards the stairs he took out his phone out while grumbling. “You bet your ass I’m gonna call the Sheriff,” he heard Stiles mumble behind him.

 

Derek just ignored and kept heading to the guest room with Stiles right behind him; his phone pressed to his ear waiting for his father to answer.

 

“Sheriff Stili-” was as far as John got before being interrupted by Stiles.

 

“Dad! Is it true that-” Stiles started to ask, his free arm flailing and waving around, before he too got interrupted by his father.

 

“Oh crap, Stiles. Shoot. I knew I had been forgetting something. Stiles, I was going to call you but the medical examiner came to talk to me and I got sidetracked. I’ve invited Derek to stay with us for a while,” explained John.

 

“What? Seriously?” exclaimed Stiles stumped.

 

“Why? And since when did the Hales come back to Beacon Hills?” asked Stiles from where he was now standing at the top of the stairs.

 

Derek entered the guest room and gently laid Jay in the crib then he walked over to the baby bag on the dresser and got the bottle and formula. All the while the Sheriff and his son kept talking about him over the phone. The Sheriff tried to keep the details of the case to himself but his son managed to weasel out the information.

 

“So the girl in the woods is Laura?” asked Stiles and for the first time since Derek arrived at the house he sounded serious which made Derek pause at the door of the guest room to eavesdrop on the conversation without being noticed.

 

The Sheriff sighed before speaking, “Unfortunately… I thought we could provide him and his nephew a warm and comfortable place to stay and get their bearings. But I should have given you a heads up. Sorry about that.”

 

“Don’t sweat it dad. It’s fine,” answered Stiles quietly.

 

“Stiles… How about I bring home some pizza for dinner?” asked the Sheriff in an obvious attempt to lighten the mood. Derek could tell there was more John wanted to say but had decided to drop the subjected.

 

While Stiles reminded his dad to also get a salad with the pizza, Derek exited the room. As he was reaching the stairs clear brown eyes caught his and Derek was taken aback by the understanding and lack of pity he saw there. Stiles just nodded his head at him once and continued cajoling his father into following his diet.

 

“So… I guess you were telling the truth about my dad having invited you to stay and not actually a creepy stalker that forced his way into my house,” piped in Stiles, walking into the kitchen and watching as Derek prepared Jay’s milk.

 

When Derek didn’t verbally answered and just frowned at him Stiles continued talking, “I… I’m sorry about your sister. And I’m also sorry for your nephew. I know what is like to lose a mother but I at least got to spend time with her and I have good memories of her. He deserved the same.” Stiles’ voice was soft and honest.

 

Derek faced him and for the first time really looked at him. Stiles was a couple inches shorter than him, lean with pale skin mottled with moles; but what drew Derek’s attention the most were his brown eyes. Derek could see the old sorrow there and the maturity he gained from it; how loss had forced him to grow up faster.

 

“Thank you,” answered Derek sincerely looking at the teen with softer eyes.

 

Stiles smiled widely at him. It was a beginning.

 

Derek finished preparing Jay’s bottle and headed back to the guest room with Stiles following him as he talked about how his best friend, Scott, who also happened to be the owner of the inhaler, somehow managed to catch all the shots made by the lacrosse team. Something that was unprecedented for Scott – particularly because his bad asthma made it difficult for Scott to truly train and practice - which served as more confirmation for Derek that Stiles’ best friend was a werewolf.

 

“Hey, little bear. Time to eat,” cooed Derek leaning over the side of the crib and rubbing his thumb over a chubby cheek. Stiles cut off his rant about his probabilities of making first line this season and remained silent as Derek reached into the crib and took a grumpy Jay out. “Shh. Everything is fine, I know you are hungry. Here you go,” Derek comforted him a bit before placing the bottle’s nipple at the baby’s mouth.

 

“He’s cute. What’s his name? My dad didn’t tell me. And also may I just say I love his Superman shirt. I’m personally a fan of Batman but Superman is still a respectable choice; that and you simply can’t go wrong with anything DC,” said Stiles coming closer to get a better look at Jay but staying at a wary distance away.

 

“His name is Jacob, but you can just call him Jay,” answered Derek.

 

“Jay. That’s a cool nickname, we match. Hey, little dude,” said Stiles with a coo and a smile directed at the baby. Stiles took a step closer to Derek and Jay, “This is probably the closest I’ve been to a baby in like, ever,” said Stiles nudging Jay’s foot with a finger and smiling wide when Jay kicked his hand.

 

“I wonder why that is,” Derek said drily, smirking at the indignant splutter he got in response.

 

“Hey! You only just got here, for all you know I’m the epitome of grace,” said Stiles tilting his chin up in defiance and crossing his arms.

 

“Really?” drawled Derek, raising an eyebrow and still smirking, “Would you like to finish feeding Jay then?”

 

Stiles’ mouth dropped and his eyed widened in surprise, glancing down at Jay for a couple seconds before shaking his head and stepping back, “Well, I see you are busy so I’m just gonna leave you both in peace. God, knows there never is any when I’m around, even I can acknowledge that,” said Stiles while walking backwards out of the room and almost crashing into the dresser.

 

Derek heard him speed walking towards his room and slamming his door shut before he started talking over the phone with Scott. Apparently, Stiles was scared of Jay.

 

“You don’t get it, Scott! This baby is tiny, cute, and fragile! You know how clumsy I am what if I like, drop him or do something and he gets hurt. I’m pretty sure Derek would murder me and not even my dad will be able to find my body!” despaired Stiles.

 

Derek snorted in amusement but stopped paying attention to the conversation down the hall; glancing down he noticed that Jay had finished his bottle so Derek moved to burp him while thinking about everything that he would have to do the next few days. The first thing on his list should be teaching Scott control since right now he was a danger to everyone around him - including himself. He would also have to patrol the town and territory to see if he can catch the alpha’s scent and track him.

 

However, that once again raises the issue of what to do with Jay.

 

He can’t take him along when he is going to be looking for the rogue alpha. Just the thought of Jay and the alpha in the same town makes his skin crawl and his wolf stir. No, Jay can’t be anywhere near the alpha. But Derek has to be the one to track the alpha since the only other werewolf in Beacon Hills is Scott and with only two days under his belt he barely qualifies as one.

 

Derek sighed again - it was becoming a habit lately – and decided to stop thinking about that before he gives himself a headache. He was distracted anyways when Jay finally burped spitting a bit of milk and saliva on his shirt.

 

Derek grimaced and sighed. Again.

 

“Look what you did Jay. You dirtied Uncle Derek’s shirt,” Derek told Jay, not really angry since it was his fault for forgetting to cover his shoulder. Since his shirt was dirty anyways he used the edge of it to clean Jay’s mouth.

 

Outside Derek heard the Sheriff’s cruiser park, he considered changing his shirt but decided to leave it on for now. Derek grabbed a blanket and exited the room with Jay. Downstairs John was entering the house with two boxes of pizza on one hand and a salad container on the other.

 

“Hello, Jay,” cooed John at the baby with a smile that was returned with a toothless one by Jay. “And Derek,” he added as an afterthought.

 

Derek raised an amused eyebrow at the Sheriff and nodded his hello. John headed to the kitchen while Derek went to the living room and laid the blanket down on the ground before placing Jay down on it on his belly.

 

By that point Stiles had thundered down the stairs and was negotiating his father’s pizza vs. salad ratio.

 

“If you eat half the salad you can have two peperoni and one meet lovers, and that is my best offer,” Stiles said with finality.

 

“Two meat lovers,” haggled John.

 

“Three peperoni, one meat lovers, and you are drinking water.” Said Stiles in a tone that brokered no argument.

 

The Sheriff narrowed his eyes and seemed to think about it before nodding and grabbing the salad. Stiles fist pumped the air in victory before grabbing his own slice of pizza and looking over at where Derek was sitting crossed legged in front of Jay. Stiles grabbed a plate and placed some pizza slices on it before carrying it over to Derek.

 

“Here,” Stiles said extending the plate towards Derek. “What are you two doing?” Stiles continued without waiting for a reply, crouching to their level and looking down at where Jay was kicking his legs and batting down at the floor with his hands.

 

“Jay is practicing rolling over,” answered Derek taking a bite out of one of the pizza slices.

 

“C’mon, buddy, you can do it,” Stiles encouraged Jay who paused and stared up at Stiles before smiling and reaching for the teen. Stiles melted and stretch his fingers for Jay to play with. Derek sat observing them both while quietly eating his pizza.

 

The Sheriff also approached and sat down in the armchair with his dinner. Derek and John started a conversation on child caring and raising with the occasional funny anecdote about Stiles popping in. the teen would complain to his dad about embarrassing him in front of guests and then he would turn to Derek and try to justify his actions.

 

It was an enjoyable evening.

 

When finally all the food was eaten, the leftovers put away, and the trash taken out Derek picked a sluggish and sleepy Jay off the blanket. He was adjusting his grip on Jay so he could also pick up the blanket when a pale hand did so for him.

 

“Wouldn’t want you to shake the little guy awake by bending to pick up this, right?” said Stiles handing him the blanket. “I hope you sleep well so you won’t wake the whole house up, buddy, just your uncle” teased Stiles giving Jay a soft pat on the back.

 

“Thanks,” deadpanned Derek.

 

“What can I say, dude? I need my beauty sleep,” smirked Stiles.

 

Derek rolled his eyes, “Don’t call me dude,” and headed for the stairs.

 

“Goodnight!” called out Stiles.

 

Once in the room Derek changed Jay into a comfortable stripped onesie taking care not to jostle him enough to wake him up fully. Having managed that, Derek cradled him against his chest for a moment taking in the soft baby scent of his nephew before placing a kiss against his temple and gently laying him in the crib.

 

Then Derek turned towards the bed and just let himself fall on it; he was exhausted. The last 24 hours had been a roller coaster of emotions and he was getting a severe case of metaphorical motion sickness. He felt as if he was having an out of body experience - just an uninvolved spectator watching someone else’s life. A knock on the door snapped him out of the dark spiral of his thoughts. Derek got off the bed with a groan and opened it to find John on the other side.

 

“Just thought I would bring you a towel and extra blanket in case you need them,” said John offering the mentioned items to him.

 

Derek took the items with a nod of gratitude.

 

“If you or Jay need anything don’t hesitate to wake me up or you could also wake up Stiles. Goodnight, son,” said John clapping him once on the shoulder and turning to go back to his room.

 

“… ‘Night,” called in response Derek before closing the door.

 

He quickly took the opportunity that Jay was sleeping to take a shower, brush his teeth and change his clothes for sweat pants and a soft shirt. Once Derek had returned to his room he started pacing. He wanted to go check on Scott and the neighbourhood to make sure the alpha hasn’t come close to either but again there was the issue of Jay. Jay had just gone to sleep a little while ago so he shouldn’t wake up for a few more hours and the Sheriff’s house _with_ the Sheriff inside was as safe as a human household could be.

 

But he still didn’tDerek slipped through the gue like this. He really, really didn’t.

 

In the end Derek decided to make a round around the neighbourhood while remaining close enough that his hearing would still pick up Jay’s crying in case something happened. He would leave dealing with Scott for tomorrow and just hope he didn’t kill someone accidentally.

 

Jay was his priority. Always.

 

Derek slipped into the room through the open window after he had finished checking the area surrounding the house. It was quite late already and the call of the bed and sleep was a siren call he was helpless to resist, he only put it off long enough to fix the blanket around Jay before he allowed himself to finally sink into the mattress.

 

It felt to him he had just rested his head on the pillow when Jay’s whimpering snapped him awake. It took Derek’s mind a few seconds to catch up on where he was and what was going on. He was so tired he felt like crying too but instead he got up with a groan and stumbled the short distance to the crib. His nose already knew the problem.

 

“Shh. We don’t want to wake anyone else,” said Derek quietly. “C’mon let’s just… just get you changed so you’ll be comfortable again,” he continued, a huge yawn fracturing his sentence in the middle.

 

Derek changed Jay’s diaper with the efficiency and speed of someone who had had to do it many, many times. He tried to laid Jay back in the crib but as soon as Derek let him go Jay started whimpering and threatening to cry once again.

 

“No, no. What’s wrong now, little bear?” said Derek quickly lifting Jay out of the crib again and into his arms before he could escalate in volume. As soon as Derek had cradled him against his chest, Jay settle down.

 

“Okay, fine. You win. You can sleep with me tonight,” Derek said with a sigh; he was too tired to argue with Jay.

 

Derek loved to cuddle his nephew but he could never sleep properly with Jay in the same bed. He was too afraid of rolling on Jay in his sleep and accidentally suffocating him to allow himself to more than lightly nap for short periods of time.

 

With no other choice Derek laid back on the bed and settled Jay on his chest, one of his hands on the baby’s head and the other rubbing circles on his back. Jay was still squirming so Derek started making a gentle sort of growl; the vibrations and sounds seemed to do the trick of soothing Jay back to sleep. Derek sighed in relief once Jay’s heartbeat returned to the steady slow pace of sleep and closed his eyes.

 

This was going to be a long night.

 

It was. Jay woke up two more times that night; once because he was hungry and the second because he was too hot from being in Derek’s arms for so long. It actually took a while for Derek to figure out that was the problem. Jay wouldn’t stop crying no matter how much Derek rocked him or hummed. It wasn’t until he smelled the sweat hat it clicked in his mind that his higher body temperature was overheating the baby. Derek quickly laid Jay back in his crib and opened the window to let in some breeze.

 

By the time morning came around and the Stilinski men woke up to start their day Derek was pretty sure he had only gotten around three hours sleep last night. As if that wasn’t enough he hadn’t gotten any sleep the day before after he felt the pack bond break. In conclusion Derek could probably count the hours of sleep he had gotten the last two days in both hands and have fingers left.

 

Derek zombie walked downstairs for some coffee. The Sheriff and Stiles were at the table eating toast and cereal respectively. The sheriff chuckled at the sight of the dark shadows under his eyes.

 

“Ah, the joys of children,” reminisced John.

 

“Dude, rough night?” said Stiles.

 

“Don’t call me dude,” said Derek on autopilot sending Stiles a weak glare; he was so not in the mood to be dealing with anyone right now.

 

“I remember nights like that with Stiles, too. They were rough but Jay will soon learn to sleep the whole night,” said John trying to offer some comfort to an obviously exhausted parent.

 

Derek grunted in response too busy finally getting to drink some coffee.

 

“Well I better head to the station soon. Have a good day, boys, try not to get in trouble, Stiles” said John standing from his chair and ruffling Stile’s hair on his way out.

 

“Hey! I don’t always get in trouble,” complained Stiles.

 

“You mean you are smart enough not to get _caught_ which doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen,” corrected John with a pointed look.

 

“I plead the Fifth,” said Stiles, eyes gleaming with too much with mischievousness to look innocent despite his best efforts.

 

The Sheriff look unimpressed, Stiles just smirked and shrugged in response. John rolled his eyes and walked out of the kitchen before his amusement became too obvious.

 

“Well, I better head out too. People to do, places to see and all that jazz,” said Stiles breaking the silence of the half-asleep that had fallen in the kitchen.

 

“Stiles,” said Derek making the teenager pause on the doorway and turn to look at him with a questioning eyebrow raised and a curious look in his eyes.

 

Derek took a second to contemplate his next words. Truly, the Scott situation couldn’t be delayed any longer

 

“I need to talk to Scott. It’s important. Think you can get him to meet me at the Hale house today after school?” asked Derek.

 

Stiles immediately straightened his back and narrowed his eyes at Derek; his suspicious gaze penetrating and searching.

 

“Why?” Stiles said firmly; serious.

 

Derek raised an eyebrow at Stiles and sent him his own considering look at the teenager. He wasn’t expecting to be questioned or looked at so suspiciously; he could practically feel the fierce waves of loyalty and protectiveness coming off of Stiles. Regardless of his admirable desire to look out for his best friend, it didn’t change the fact that Stiles was just a human - and the Sheriff’s son - so he couldn’t know about what was actually happening; he was already involved enough without knowing it by being friends with Scott and by Derek living in his house. Derek wouldn’t allow another innocent teenager to be hurt by the alpha if he could help it so he took a second to come up with a reasonable excuse.

 

“He was in the woods that night, right? That’s how he lost his inhaler. I just wanted to talk to him about what he saw,” said Derek. He didn’t need to specify what night he was talking about; they both knew he was referring to Laura.

 

Stiles’ eyes softened with understanding and he nodded once.

 

“Yeah, man, I’ll tell him. And, uh, sorry about treating your sister’s death like an exciting adventure…” said Stiles, mumbling the last part with an apologetic wince while scratching the back of his neck.

 

Derek frowned but nodded at the teen in acceptance nonetheless. Stiles shuffled his feet awkwardly for a moment while fidgeting with his hands. He seemed to want to say something else before thinking better of it and just leaving with a mock salute towards Derek. Derek heard the reluctant grind of the engine as Stiles’ Jeep roared into life a few moments later. Finally alone in the house Derek headed up the stairs to check on Jay.

 

The baby was squirming in his crib; eyes bright and alert but otherwise calm.

 

“Good morning, little bear. I hope you slept well because _I_ wasn’t allowed to,” Derek told the baby who smiled in response. Derek sighed and smiled back, he just couldn’t stay mad at Jay for long.

 

“C’mon, let’s get you ready for the day. We’ve got stuff to do,” said Derek, lifting Jay out of the crib.

 

The main thing to do today was talking to Scott and verify if he hasn’t been contacted by the alpha. But Derek also had to call his work place in New York to explain what had happened to Laura and quit his job since he had a feeling he would be staying in Beacon Hills for the foreseeable future. Derek also wanted to call a lawyer to arrange the papers so he could officially become Jay’s guardian.

 

Once he had managed to get himself and Jay dressed Derek started making the phone calls while absent mindedly playing with Jay with his free hand. When he finished with the calls he fed Jay and spent the rest of the time exercising while Jay napped. When it was close to the time of school letting out Derek took a shower, grabbed Jay and after strapping him into the car seat left for the Hale house.

 

The Hale house was as dreary as the day before, and being there made Derek feel just as bad but it was also the best place he could think of to be alone for the werewolf talk with Scott; who wasn’t there yet. While Derek waited for Scott he got Jay out of the car seat and sat on the porch steps. He balanced Jay on his knees and let the baby sort of push off of them with his legs and bounce; it seemed to entertain Jay if his wide smile and gurgles were any indication.

 

Eventually the sound of a car coming up the dirt road alerts Derek that Scott has finally arrived. The sight of the blue Jeep, however, makes him frown. Derek stands up from the porch steps with Jay on his hip as the jeep parks and the two teenagers climb out.

 

“Stiles what are you doing here?” Derek says, his voice demanding.

 

“Woah, not even a hello? You do know you are staying at _my_ house, right?” replied Stiles tone mocking and his eyebrow raised.

 

“Why shouldn’t Stiles be here?” asked Scott his head tilted to one side in confusion.

 

“I need to talk to you. _Alone,_ ” answered Derek with a pointed glare directed at Stiles who frowns at Derek in response.

 

“Stiles is my best friend whatever you have to say to me you can say it in front of him too,” Scott said stubbornly while crossing his arms.

 

“This is not Stiles’ business so go home, _Stiles,_ ” said Derek through gritted teeth directing the last part towards the teenager with a harsh glare. The tension and dark moods created by the argument started to make Jay restless; the baby whining softly and squirming in Derek’s arms.

 

“No. I don’t think I will because this whole thing is very suspicious. The fact that you want to talk to Scott out of the blue in the same woods where, not two days ago, someone was murdered and Scott was attacked by some wild animal is extremely shady,” said Stiles, his angry brown eyes locked with Derek’s green. They were locked in a stand-off, glaring at each other with Scott in the middle looking between them as if on a tennis match; the confusion and wariness obvious in his eyes. Jay was squirming more and more as the tension around him started to affect him as well.

 

Finally, Stiles broke the silence, “You know something.” It was a statement not a question, Stiles narrowed his eyes at Derek giving him the same suspicious he had this morning in the kitchen.

 

“This morning you said you wanted to talk to Scott about what he saw in the woods but you didn’t mean Laura, did you? If you had you wouldn’t object so much to me being here since, as the Sheriff’s son, I might have known more about her case,” said Stiles his excitement at finally figuring out the puzzle making his words come faster and his arms wave around as if to highlight his points. Derek for his part was staring at the teenager wide eyed as he continued.

 

“No, this has nothing to do with Laura at least not directly. This has to do with what Scott saw afterwards: the wolf he says that bit him. You know what that thing was and you also know why Scott has been so different since that day. Is he really a werewolf?! Are _you_?” said Stiles with a gasp of excitement and using his arms to punctuate.

 

“What?!” Derek and Scott said in unison, before Scott groaned and face palmed in embarrassment.

 

“Stiles! I told you to quit it with that werewolf stuff. It’s not possible and it stopped being funny after the first joke,” said Scott annoyed.

                                                                                     

Stiles for his part ignored him; his gaze was solely focused on Derek waiting for a confirmation. Derek for his part was speechless. _How could he have figured it out? Did he know about us beforehand?_

“How,” growled Derek advancing on the teen who stumbled over his own feet as he backed away. Derek’s growling grew louder and more menacing the closer he got to the teenager and the sound – so different from the one he used to comfort Jay – was enough to make the baby start crying loudly in distress.

 

“Oh my God. I’m right?!” gaped Stiles, “I can’t believe I’m actually right. I mean it was just a theory but I had no solid proof, at least not yet. I was planning on doing some research to confirm my suspicions later but then this happened and it just clicked in my mind, you know?” babbled Stiles panicked as he was cornered against the passenger door of his own Jeep.

 

“Hey! Back the fuck off okay!” snapped Scott getting in between Derek and Stiles. He probably hadn’t noticed but his eyes were golden and his fangs were growing as he continued “I don’t know what your problem is but back off and leave Stiles out of it. Werewolves are not real,” growled Scott, he was already more than halfway shifted and he didn’t even know it. If the situation wasn’t getting out of control so fast he might have been amused at Scott’s level of obliviousness.

 

“And will shut that baby up already!” yelled Scott with a swing of his clawed fingers towards Derek and Jay.

 

Derek’s instincts and wolf took over in a second and he reacted reflexively against the threat to himself and, more importantly, to Jay. In what might have seem to a human the blink of an eye Derek shifted to his beta form and had grabbed Scott by his neck and slammed against the Jeep so hard that the back seat window cracked when Scott’s head collided with it. Derek’s furious roar silenced and stilled all the wildlife near by the house as well as the two teenagers and baby that was now hiding his face in Derek’s neck and nuzzling it.

 

Scott was staring at Derek’s beta form in a mixture of fear, confusion, and shock. His golden eyes dimmed and turned brown as his fangs and claws receded as well; he had been snapped out of his rage by Derek’s roar. Stiles was staring at the two werewolves in open mouthed amazement. Too busy trying to take in what had just happened to make another one of his comments.

 

Derek’s electric blue eyes were staring unblinkingly at Scott, his fangs made him slur his next words but the anger and seriousness in them was undeniable. “Listen to me well, Scott, because there won’t be a next time,” growled Derek, the tightening of his hand around the teen’s throat and the pinpricks of claws against the delicate flesh making the threat unmistakable, “If you want to dawdled in denial and ignore the truth that is literally in front of you that is fine. If you dislike me and want to have nothing to do with me, that is fine too. But you will _not_ do anything that might hurt my nephew,” Derek let go of the teen who dropped to the floor, “Am I clear?” asked Derek to ensure that his threat was taken as the promise it was.

 

Scott coughed and rubbed his throat, “Cristal”

 

Derek nodded and stepped back starting to rub soothing circles on Jay’s back. Stiles immediately dropped down next to his friend to check on him.

 

“Dude, are you okay? I can’t believe you are a werewolf! You were actually all yellow eyed and had fangs and claws for a second there,” said Stiles helping Scott stand back up.

 

“I’d say I’m fine but it turns out I’m werewolf,” said Scott glaring at Derek intensely.

 

“The bite is a gift. You can now do things other humans can only dream of doing. You have strength, speed, better senses, and can heal faster. With my help you’ll learn to control it. The full moon is on Friday we’ll meet here and start your first control lesson then,” said Derek turning around and heading towards the Camaro.

 

“What? Why would I do anything you tell me to? It’s your fault I’m like this in the first place. And I have a date with Allison on Friday, I can’t miss it. Plus I never asked for this ‘gift’ so take it back and leave me alone!” demanded Scott.

 

Derek turned around with a glare, “My eyes are blue that means I’m a beta and incapable of turning a human. Only alphas can turn people and they have red eyes. _I_ didn’t bite you,” explained Derek quickly strapping Jay in the car seat.

 

“But you know who did it?” asked Stiles.

 

“All I know is that the alpha who bit Scott is the same one that killed my sister,” answered Derek without turning to face him. He quickly got in the Camaro and drove off before either teen could say something else.

 

Derek sighed glancing at the rear-view mirror and catching a glimpse of Jay sucking on his fingers.

 

“That could have gone better don’t you think, little bear?” said Derek at his nephew while tiredly rubbing his face with the hand that wasn’t on the wheel. “Just so you know I’m going to blame my short temper on you not letting me sleep last night,” said Derek with a yawn at the end but his tone light and teasing. Jay gurgled and waved hand at Derek.

 

Derek sighed. Again.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come say hi to me in tumblr at secretwerewolfexpert

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me in tumblr at secretwerewolfexpert  
> :D


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